LATE HON W. ROBINSON AND THE CESAREWITCH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIV, Issue 10785, 24 October 1895, Page 3

LATE HON W. ROBINSON AND THE CESAREWITCH.

“ Hermit” writes as follows to the Canterbury Times In a recent number of the Canterbury Times you published a quoted article on the subject of “ How the late Hon W. Robinson's mare. Gratitude, lost the Ceearewitch of 1864." you and everybody else who have taken the trouble to look into the affair are, of course, aware that “ Eapier’s ” remarks are very inaccurate. At the same time I make no apology for offering the following comments The astounding misrepresentation with which the writer has surrounded his description of a memorable race and a very memorable colonial owner of horses on the English turf is almost ludicrous. That the race in question was a memorable one any follower of the turf of thirty years ago will admit, and those acquainted with the real facta of the case (of which number I claim to bo one) will not deny First, that the late Hon W. Robinson backed his mare to win him one of the largest stakes ever known in the history of the ring. Second, that even then he was prepared to go on, bat the ring stopped first. Third, that bis account wss ssttlad on the Monday, without a .thought from anyone who had to receive that they would have to wait a second. And they had not. How comes in the “digger’s hut” yarn with its consequent “hard fare,” the leaving England and the rest of the ineffable bosh with which Mr “Rapier” embellishes hia malignant fairy tale. Does “Rapier” recollect that in 1865, when, according to his “veracious” account, Mr Robinson should have been delving for gold somewhere or other in the Australasian • colonies be (“Rapier ”) eo much despises, that Mr Robiasuo’s Eltham fioished third to the mighty GUidiateurin the Darby ? la he too young, too prejudiced or too ill-read.tb recollect the Asuot

week that year, and the races for the Royal Hunt Cup and the Queen’s Tase, in the first of which events Mr Robinson “ got even ” for all his costly English racing. That in the second race, after his colt had finished a dead heat with Baron Rothschild’s Breeze, how he declined all pecuniary offers and insisted on a run off for the possession of the Vase, which fell to him. The Vase and the Hunt Cup trophies are now in the possession of his descendants in this colony, “to witness if I lie." If "Rapier” thinks this Ascot story is untrue, let him refer to his “ Ruff ” for facts, and as for the sentiment I refer him to Mr James Waugh, whose memory is probably better than “ Rapier’s," and who trained both Gratitude and Eltham. And now one . word more about the Ceaarewitch of 1864, It is not generally known, even by the men of those days, that Mr Robinson threw that race away himself; but it was so, and the facts are these Mr Robinson had made arrangements with J. Grimshaw to ride his mare, but at the last moment (say some twelve or fourteen hours before the race) he mistrusted Jimmy and his belongings,thinking the big stake bo was playing for would afford those who were Orimshaw’s masters too good an opportunity for them to fail to play him false. Then he dismissed Grimshaw and fell back on the north country light-weight Carroll, who, good man at his weight as he undoubtedly was, was not within a few pounds of Grimshaw over a Newmarket course,- and who, moreover, was in a state of health at the time that may be termed helpless. Thus he lost, as Grimshaw, on Thalestris, fairly pulled the race out of the fire,

The wonderful part of the article I have ventured to comment on is that the author of it has apparently taken no trouble to verify, by reading even, any one of his fancy facts. It matters very little to him that no matter what Mr Robinson’s antecedents were his after career should be so misrepresented. The previous career of bis subject could not possibly be of any consequence, as he wished to hang an illUatured fairy tale on to the fact that a colonial owner had r triad to rub shoulders with the blue-blooded owners (in the: Old Country) so dear to "Rapier’s" mind. Let mo inform him that Mr Robinson was not a digger, but a stock and station owfier, that He lived,and died a sportsman, and that a few more of hin sort would be a great acquisition to the English turf, oven if only as shocking examples to such a high-toned ; critic and raconteur ns " Rapier.”